Collapsible towes



Patented Oct 28, 1919. l SHEETS-SHEET l- W. L. BESSOLO..

y CULLAPSIBLE TOWER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22| 19H- RENEWED MY. |919- Patented Oct. 28,1919.

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' By Q TTORNEYS W. L. BESSOLO.

COLLAPSIBLE TOWER. APPLICATION FILED Junin. ISI?.

RENEWED MAY 5. I9I9.

Patented oct. 28,1919.

ISHEETS-SHEET 3A 5%, TUHNEYS W. L. BESSOLO.

Y COLLAPSIBL'E TOWER. .APPLICATIQNHLED-1uN:22.1917. Renewal: MAY s. 1919.

1,319,943. v Patented oct. 28,1919.

TSHEETS-SHEET 4A E d?? v2 W. L. BESSOLO.

COLLAPslBLE TOWER.

y APPIl/ICATION FILED JUNE 22. 1917-. RENEWED MAY 5.1919. 1,319.9@3 11116D1011 01,1. 28,1919.

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. w. L. EssoLo. COLLAPSIBLE TOWER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. I9I7 RENEWED MAY 5v. 1919.

Patented Oct. v28, 1919.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 6 W/T/VESSES W. L. BESSOLO. COLLAPSIBLE TOWER. APPucATfoN f|LED1uNE22.1917. nENEwED MAY 5.1919.

Paenod Ouf. 28, 191.9.

SHEETS-SHEET 7.

wim/5885s Y WELLIAEE LUIS BESSOLO, 0F SAN DIEGO, CALIFGRNIA.,

COLLASIBLE TOWER.

Specification of Letters Tatent.

Patented Got. 28, 1919.

Application led June 22, 1917, Serial No. 179,352. Renewed May 5, 1919. Serial No. 295,028.

to a collapsible tower of a nature' ca able of wide and varied use and especial y of use as a wireless tower, observation tower, elevatable gun support, or in connection with iii-e apparatus, my object, in the rst instance, being the provision of a simple,

strong and' durable mechanism capable of ready, adjustable control, as well as quick elevating and collapsing movements, with minimum friction and expenditure o power.

' Further objects of my invention reside in the provision of a collapsible tower construction having the advantages both as regards its adaptability to varied uses and its particular construction to be hereinafter specified and described with respect to the accompanying drawings', forming a part of this specification, and wherein- Figuiel is a perspective View illustrating the practical application of my invention to use as a wireless tower and illustrating its adaptability to mobile support..

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion thereof illustrating its adaptability to use as part of fire apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. Q illustrating ,the adaptability of my invention to use as an observation tower,

Fig. a is a vertical sectional view, en an enlarged scale, through the upper portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through my vimproved apparatus in collapsed position.

Fig. 6 is a similar View through a portion thereof in elevated position.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View taken through one corner of adjacent sections of the tower. y

Fig.- 8 is a top plan View of the parts shown in Fig, 5, with certain of the said parts broken away. l

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through one corner of certain of the parts in collapsed position.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the tower in elevated position.

zliig. A11 is a horizontal section in detail taken substantially on the line 11-111 of Fig. l0.

Fig. l2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the base of the tower, illustrating the controllin means and the owerconnections where' y the tower may e elevated and collapsed. c

Fig.I 13 is a bottom plan view of the parts seen in Fig. 12. 4

Fig. 14C is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on the line 11k-14: of

eerringd now to these figures, and particularly to Figs. 5 to la inclusive, my improved tower consists of a plurality lof rectangular telescoping sections 15, 16, 17, of successively smaller'cross sections, telescoping successivel within one another, and each provided witli7 vertical angular corner bars 18, as most plainly seen in Fig. 9, with horizontally disposed angle lbars 19 and 20, respectively, connecting the upper vand lower ends of the corner uprights 18, to form a skeleton structure which though rigid in itself is further strengthened and braced by means of diagonal crossing brace' rods 21 at tle four sides of the frame thus constitute ,The largest and lowerinost frame may rest latwise upon any suitable supporting surface, though preferablyormed in connection with a supporting base 22, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6, adjacent and below which are the power and controlling means whereby the tower may Ibe readily, conveniently and quickly elevated, collapsed and controlled at all times .by an operator or o erators stationed at the lower portion o the tower for this purpose.

Each oi" the telescoping frames 1 5, 16, 11 thus has its corner uprights 18 in position to movably engage V-sliaped rollers Q3 held in corner brackets of the next outermost frame or section of the tower, arranged at and adjacent the top thereof, each section or frame having at. its lower end outwardly projecting lugs or arms 25 for engagement the next outermost section to limit relative vvertical movement of the Sections to the lextended position/as seen in Fig. 9 in particular. L l Each of the sections. ie,urthsrmore, proetv beneathV the lowermost roller of.

l located subjacentthereto.

vided at all four sides thereof and upon its upper and lower cross bars ll) and 20, withA centrally disposed rollers or pulleys 26 over whirh are extended the operating cables ii? exllnding upwardly beneath the lowermost rollers and do\.v|i\var lly over the uppermost rollers throughout the series of frames or sections whereby downward pnll on the lower ends .of the cables will cause elevation ot' the entire series.

rlhe lowermost, section or frame of the tower which is secured upon or Vformed in connection wit/kh a base, plate, Q2, as before stated, and which is of Somewhatsimilar shape to the several other sectionsi has openings 28 downwardlythrough which the ele,- vating cables 27 extend. This base *22 may, a5 before stated, be either anchored or secured in connection with a portable frame, such as an armored vehicle, 35), as seen in Fig. l$ and is in either instance; provided with a controlling mechanism for the tower This controlling,r mechanism in the simple. form, as proposed b m invention and as seen in Fins. l2 13 n 7 and l, consists of a central pulley shaft, li and two side pulley7 shafts 82 and Bil. the former having an elongated pulley 'l-land the latter having pulleys 2&5. At one end the shaft 31 is connected to the shafts 25; and il?) by belts 86 so that the several parallel shafts mentioned will, with their pulleys', be, driven in consonance.

The pulley 34 being` disposed at right angles to, and in the plane ot` the axis Iot', the tower, below the base otl the latter. as seen in Fig. lil. will receive adjacent its oppositoends certain ot' the cables 2T ol opposite Sides otl the tower. v-:hihl the cables 27 ot' the other opposing;A sides ot' the lower will extend to and around the. central portions ot' the pulley Ill atter passage. angularly around the pulleys 5&5.

.it its opposite end the central pulley shaft. Si has a splined clutch member Il? controlled in i 's morement by a lerer lH. the lower end ol which has a yoli'e lf) engagingr an annular groovey otl the clutch member lT. and the upper end of which proferts npwardly through the baise Q2 and has a lati-h mechanism l() in engagement with a stationary notched -z'pzadrant ll.

rThe pulley shalt ill is, 'l`urthermore. arranged in the axial plane ot a power shaft 42, which may be the shaftl of the motor otl they armored ear 30, or a .shaft suitably connected tl'iereto, and ch has a stationary clutch member #l5-l opposing' the clutch member 37, before described, and adapted for engag'en'ientj by the latter under control ot the lever 38 by means oti which the clutch members may be locked in engaged and disengaged pogition.

Adjacent the clutch meniber 3T the main pulley v34 is, furthermore, provided witn a ratchet wheel l engaged by a pawl 45, as best seen in Fig. li, liulcrumed at, lll beneath the base :2:2 and controlled bj.' a t'oot piel-e i7 project ingr above the base and through an opening thereof. by a spring ll-l adjacent the foot piece, the latter ot whirh ninmallbv holds the pawl in engagedposition.

rthus when the clutch member 3T is Shift ed into engagement. with the Stationary clutch member 425, the pulleys 34 and 35 will be rotated to wind the several controllingr cables of the tower upon the former, with minimum friction, so as 'to elevate 'the several sections of the, tower to the position shown in Fig. 1 by the utilization of xninmum power for this purpose, and in such manner as to bring about minimum Wear o the parts in either this operation or the downward movement ot the several sections or frames to collapsed position when the movable clutch 3T is released and the foot, piece t7 depressed to release the ratchet pawl. the, function of which is to normally prevent retrograde, movement; of the pulley 3l.

lly referring` to Fig. 5 it will be noted that the upper end oi the. innermost section or trame of the tower supports a, platform 49 ot' generally rectangular formation and at least` large enough to completely cover and protect the upper ends ot the several sections or trames in .collapsed position` as plainlyy seen in the figure.mentioned, for which purpose the platform i9 has a downwardly flanged surroundingP edge 5G. This plat.` form 49 may itselt' .support suitable meehanism to be utilized in connection with the tower, as, for instance. the short mast 5l. and antennae ot the wireless apparatus l'or the support of which he tower is utilized. aS seen in connection with the armorerar l0 otl Fig. 1.

)is seen in Fig. .2 the, platform l!) is uti lized as a support upon which is suitably secured an additional larger platform oil, the latter haring' asmrounding rail 5J. and a' lower opeuing. through the latter ot" which is extended the upper end ol' the ladder 56 to provide t'or the. ready ascension and de srension ot firemen and others in connection with the utilization ol! the lower as part; of lire apmralus.

As seen in Figs. 3 and l. a supplemental observatimi plattform IST may be secured ao the platform lll haring; an intermediate ,shield portion 5S through which opens the upper end 59 of a periscope.

Referring again to 5 it, will be noted that the, platform 4f) has a central opening' of) beneath which is an annular Lbracket ($1 rotatably supporting the upper end of the outer section (i2 of a series ot tubular sections which extend and collapse with the tions or frames of the. tower to form a tubular mast, vertically through the tower? as seen in Fig. 6, for various purposes, as, for instance, a support, or as a part of the periscope seen in Figs. 3 and 4.

In supporting the outer section 62 ot this tube, the bracketl 61 engages an external annlar Iib 63 ot' said section, the several sections having relatively engaging external and internal annulairibs (34 at their upper and lower ends which provide for their connection with one another as the tower is elevated, the inner section 65 ot the tube having a lower external annular rib 6G engaged and supported by a bracket (37 secured to the lower Jf'ace ot the base 2:2. In the normally collapsed position of the parts the opening f3() of the Alattorni 49, and consequentlyy the upper en( s ot the several sections of the central collapsible tube ot' the tower, is covered and protected by a concavo-convex plate 68 held by quick detachable connecting members 69, and whichl is removed when thefsupplemental platforms y of Figs. 2 and 3 are disposed upon the platform 49.

,It is to be observed further that means may be provided in connection with the severlal sections of the innerv axial tube ot the tower for the control through this tube ot certain means at the upper end ot the ele vated tower, as, for instance, the control ot' nozzle holding devices in connection with fire apparatus, or the control and shitting of the' upper angular portion 5t) ot the peri scope, ot' which, as before stated, the tube forms a part in thel apparatus illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

llaving thus made it plain as to how my invention is constructed and the. manner in which the tower and its parts are manipulated and controlled, it will be obvious that its uses are various and are notI to be limited to those shown and describel 'by way ol illustration only. It is tui-ther obvious that the constructionitsellA is capable ol' variation and mmlilication within considerable limits in adapting the invention to these usos and that for this, ili tor no other reason, the foregoing specification is to be taken as limiting the invention merely to the termsot the appended claims.

lt is also to be observed from Figs. l2, lil, and 14 that a brake 7() may be provided in connection with the drum i-l- 'l'oruse with the clutch and the dog flo disengaged in lowering the several sections ot the tower to collapsed position, and that, due to the ease with which the invention may he manipulated, that is, laced in position and either elevated or col apsed, it is capable of effec- `tive use, in supporting an aerial cableway or bridge over a river stream or section of 1mpassahle grol'nd.

I claim 1. In a collapsible tower, a series of telescoping trames having roller connections forming guides for their extension and collapsingmovements, each ot' said frames being rectangular in form and including angley said roller connections, each of the removable franies having externally projecting lugs at their lower ends for engagement' with the said rollers to limit relative movement of the trames toward the extended positions.

2. In a collapsing towel', a'series ot telescoping rectangular trames having relatively engaging means to guide their exten! sion and collaping movements, and a supporting member disposed axially oiE the tower and in teleseoring sections, the inner and outer sections ot .'.hieh are connected to opposite ends of the tower.

25. In a collapsible tower, a plurality of rectangular trames, a platform secured to the upper end ot the innermost section, .a base upon which the tower is disposed, said platform and said hase. having centrally disposed seeuring means and an axially disposed tuhe 'm teleseoping sections, the upper and lower ends oll which are engaged bythe securing means oi' the platform and the base, l'or the purpose. described. i

It. ln a collapsing tower, a series of rectangular telescoping trames, a base upon which theI l'rames are disposed, a platform .st-.cured to the upper end ot the innermost trame, said platl'orm and said base having openings axially ot' the tower and provided with annular brackets disposed thereon at one side ot the openings, an inner tubular member in teleseoping sections having its upper and lower ends extended into the openings ot the platform and base, and provided with annular ribs engaged by the annular braelwts ot the platform and base, `tor the purpose described. i

WILLIAM LOUIS BESSOLO. 

